Need a hand hold -Part 3

[Imbluedalale]

Hi spoonies , welcome to new thread , thank you so so much for supporting me .

Yayyyyu @spoonfulofmustard

Hope you’ve had a lovely day xx

I think in spoonie land a cockerpoo can be a type of bird if you want it to be, Laura 😂

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I was wondering why you asked about a cage. She is very funny, she hides her toys under things or in a crevice then barks for me to find it or get it out. And she will play fetch ALL day if you are willing to throw a ball or a toy. 🐶

Oh that sounds right tho my street ! I love reading about Henry V111.
Fun fact for you, did you know that he enjoyed music so much that he had 60 musicians on his payroll?xx

Six was written by a couple of students for their end of degree theatre course and premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now it’s one of most successful musicals in the world. Amazing.

Oh thanks for that info @Munchyseeds2 , my mums made me paranoid about the bills so I’m sat in the dark with no heating on 😂 gonna go put it on in a minute though as it’s very cold .
My mum makes her own KFC chicken as it has to be gluten free and it’s delicious and she makes lovely cakes with buttercream in. What’s your favourite meal to make?xx

I was thinking cockateil. I only know that because I’ve just googled ‘birds beginning with cock’ so if anybody looks at my search history I’m in trouble 😂. In my defence they are very similar xx

😂😂😂😂😂Sorry about that @AdmittowearingCrocs . Just ignore me .
Awww that is so sweet I’d love to see a video of her doing that xx

Oh lovely don't be cold. Go and put that heat on!!
Have you seen the electric throws you can get for when your sitting on the sofa and want to be warm without putting the heating on? They cost pennies to use.

I love a good casserole to be honest, one with all the veg and dumplings
Fav takeaway has to be indian

Oh you can’t beat a casserole but I’m naughty and like it with crusty bread. But dumplings are amazing! I’m terrible at making them though. You’ve made me really crave a casserole now 😂
I’ve got heat on will keep it on for half hour , I’ve seen those electric blankets but was worried they would cost too much now I’m really intrigued xx

The heated throws are really cheap to run.

Ohhhh thank you I’ll have to invest in one xx

@Imbluedalale Fingers crossed for your son, that they don't need to operate. Although sometimes it's actually better in the long run if they do. My mum broke her arm in the past and they said she would have an operation but then decided against it. It healed but not with proper bone, so many years and breaking it again, they eventually had a big operation to remove the flexible fiberous tissue. It's left her with muscle wastage because of being in a cast for so long. Your son has got age on his side, things tend to heal quickly when you are young.

I second the use of a heated over blanket or throw. They are brilliant as they heat up quickly and are very economical as you are heating your body and not the whole room. I love mine and it's great to be able to go to a bed that's already warmed a bit. Hopefully being a new build the cost of heating will be reasonable.They are much more efficient than older buildings. My son is in a small flat and it's amazing how warm it is with minimal heating on.
@Ruralretreating

We don't have a wood burner on the boat. We used to have a diesel one but took it away when the kids were little because it wasn't possible to make it safe from getting burnt by it. We have an oil filled radiator and have added additional insulation boards to try to keep the heat in. Most of the time it's ok, it's just when the tide is out and strong winds whipping past the hull, that it's struggling to keep up. I tend to feel the cold more because I can't move around without assistance.

Evening all! I’ve been busy this week so have caught up with the thread a few times but not had time to post. Your pets are all gorgeous. @BeNavyCrab i love the idea of living on a houseboat, it’s always seemed like a very romantic life.

@Imbluedalale its so lovely to hear about all the good things that have happened to you this week. I hope your throat starts to feel better soon and your body starts to recover from everything you’ve been through so you can feel healthy again.

I’m feeding 9 people for lunch on Sunday and can’t work out what to cook. Two vegetarians, one fussy kid. I want it to be easy but also nice and hot and filling. I was thinking of a Christmas style ham, but then what?

Evening @BeNavyCrab hope you’re ok and nice and cosy in your lovely home . It sounds like bliss.
Ouch your mums operation sounds painful bless her . My son seems to be ok although he said it’s painful. Hopefully they won’t have to operate and if they do have to I’m hoping ex won’t come back so I can be there for my son.
Sore throat is now turning into a cough . I hate coughing. Think I caught the cough from my sister as she mentioned she couldn’t sleep night before with coughing .
I’ve been doing some house admin today, ordered all my bins then asked to be put through to council tax section to get a council tax bill and stop paying on old property but they can’t produce a bill at the moment as the property hasn’t been banded yet due to it being a new build so they have to get a valuer out to band it then I’ll get a bill . Then I had to ring daughters college re getting her another bus pass as she now has a different route to do too on a special college bus . The woman wasn’t very helpful and she said I’d have to pay two lots of £375 which will last until summer term next year which isn’t ideal right now.
I’ve been measuring tonight with a tape measure (first time I’ve used one) and I rang my dad and said my room is 32 inches and he said he thinks it’s bigger than that and he’ll measure it tomorrow properly 😂
My mum rang me at 9am this morning as she was at Costco with my sister and she said she’d seen 72 bags of crisps in a box . Quavers , monster munch , wotsits etc and asked if I wanted a box . I said no thank you mum. She said ‘well I’ll get them anyway for you’ . 2 mins later she rings me back and said she’s got me a huge bottle of cocoa butter as I mentioned other day my elbows are really dry so I said thank you mum but save your money I’m ok. 5 mins after that she rang again and said ‘I’ve got you a kilo jar of coffee’ because I told her about offering the workmen a drink and they wanted coffee and I didn’t have any as I don’t drink it . I said mum your bought me enough stop buying me things and she said ‘well it was only £7.99’. The woman never stops shopping! I’m still tired from going to the Range on Monday 😂I need to rest for 3 months now xx

She is being a Mum, maybe making up for lost time. She is obviously really enjoying being able to buy things for you and see you comfortable. And it is very easy to get carried away in Costco!

Evening @Meanwhile33 , it’s lovely to hear from you. I hope you’re ok despite your hectic week.
Right I have found some suggestions for the vegetarians and kids and some dishes to go with the ham :
For the vegetarians -Baked spaghetti bake (is delicious)
Vegan Chilli (could also have crusty bread which you can also eat with the ham)
Garlic and chilli new potatoes (these are delish and very easy to do)
Vegetable pasta
Baked Ziti
Cheeseboard tart
Also a lot of Indian dishes are vegan
sweet potato casserole
cheesy scalloped potatoes

For the kids -pitta pizzas
Jacket potato’s -could use the chilli / cheese
Mac and cheese
Pasta
Xx

Hi @eatreadsleeprepeat , your so right it is easy to get carried away in Costco that’s probably why I avoid it 😂.
I just feel guilty and don’t want her spending all her money on me I can wait for things I don’t need them straight away. I know she wants me to feel settled and homely but I’m just thrilled I have a home I can wait for everything else xx

I'm at the cough stage too now and it's quite difficult because it exacerbates the pain I feel from my other medical conditions. Im using some Vicks vapour rub and being more upright in bed to try to keep it off my chest and so far so good. It's quite disruptive for sleeping though isn't it.
Your mum and her shopping made me smile. It's exactly the sort of thing mine would do. Asking do I want something and then getting it anyway because it's a bargain etc. It's just a way of showing you that she loves you and wants to support you. It's sweet and she's probably feeling bad about not knowing what you had been experiencing. I think she might also see it as a way to support you to make your house as welcoming for your kids, as possible. Hopefully she is keeping her eyes on her budget too and it's probably not that much she's spending.

I do understand that feeling of being guilty for being a burden or needing support though. I go through that myself sometimes and feel bad that they have to do things for me, that they wouldn't have to do if I was well. I'm tend to try to hide difficulties from my friends and some have said that they would have rather known, so they then had the opportunity to do something to help. It's my own internal thoughts of "being a pain" and not at all how they feel about me.

I loved you menu plan for @Meanwhile33 and it all sounded so yummy. My husband is the main chef in the household and my daughter is vegetarian. So when she's home from university we have more vegetarian meals. She finds cooking a big challenge, but she has learned some wonderful Indian Dahl recipes that use a pressure cooker. I miss being able to cook myself, I especially enjoyed baking. I do help a bit when I can. Even if it's just reading the next steps for a recipe. After one too many serious accidents I have been barred from being in the kitchen unassisted/without being monitored. 😂😂

I think your Mum is using shopping as her love language, so if you have said to her she doesn't need to, and she continues, I would just thank her, say again that she didn't need to - and give her a hug.

I second the heated blanket/throw idea - maybe an idea for a Christmas present (although I'm sure you have hundreds of Christmas present ideas lol). My son feels the cold and he has a heated thrown on his lap and legs and a hoodie blanket and a hot water bottle. He and his cat snuggle in front of the TV. (Although this last month or so he has been ill with colds and toothache etc so I told him to just put his heating on and I will pay this month's bill - mothers eh, what are we like?)

Oh I love all those menu ideas @Imbluedalale , thank you! How do you do your spaghetti bake? I would normally do a few different salads, bread, sausage rolls etc but in this weather I think baked carbs and cheese is the way to go! And then I can serve things from the dishes they are baked in and everything will stay hot. I don’t like it when food that’s supposed to be hot actually isn’t by the time you’re eating it because it took so long to dish up. Which reminds me I have some folding fabric plate warmers in a high cupboard I got for Christmas one year, I must dig them out!

I think I’m going to do cauliflower cheese with butter beans, these potatoes which sound like yours except no chilli, they shouldn’t need as much space in the oven as normal roasties, and some greens and peas. Plus the ham, and some veggies sausages, normal sausages and some pasta for the kids just in case. (Haha if my sister is on here and turns up tomorrow to this exact menu she’ll know this is definitely me!) I need to get out of bed and go to Sainsbury’s so I can get most of it done today.

@BeNavyCrab I’m sorry about your health struggles, that sounds really hard. I know what you mean about wanting to hide things, but I find hiding it then becomes a barrier to having a real honest friendships and it’s better to be as open about it as you can cope with. I’m lucky that I don’t have any pain but I struggle to walk very far sometimes and with needing the loo urgently, and I used to find it embarrassing and not want anyone to know and feel sorry for me, but I’m more accepting of it now, plus it’s getting more obvious, and things are much more comfortable with friends when I’m honest about what I can and can’t do. A big step mentally will be getting a folding stick I can keep in a bag and use when my leg is bad but I think it’s probably time. My condition is progressive so I just have to get my head around it really.

i hope you are all staying warm and cosy. And lol @Imbluedalale at the kilo of coffee for a person who doesn’t drink coffee - visitors & workmen will still be getting through that jar that in 20 years time, and wondering why it tastes a bit weird!

Good morning @BeNavyCrab , sorry to hear your not feeling very well. I hope your cough eases soon, sending big hugs ❤️
This is really random but if you put a potato peeling in each of your socks at night when you have a cough or cold its meant to really help . In the morning you will have an imprint of the potato peeling on your foot and the potato will have gone really dark because it’s removed the toxins from your body and your meant to feel so much better.
Whats the weather like there? It’s blowing a huge gale here you can hear the wind.
I know my mum is spoiling me bless her and I know she wouldn’t do it if she couldn’t afford it as she’s always been really good with money but it’s a new experience for me, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not used to being treated and helped like that.
You explained it really well re being a burden. I’m really sure you’re not but I completely understand the internal thoughts. I get them all the time.
You know it always really fascinates me when I hear of a man cooking , I’m not being sexist and my dad cooked a lot when I was younger . He had a Chinese recipe book that was nearly 80 years old all handwritten too. And he used to make these amazing fresh fish things with homemade sweet chilli sauce they was delicious and he made homemade chicken fried rice. I’ve just never seen a man cook for a very long time. Your daughter’s Dahl recipes sound delicious. I’m not a great cook myself but I do like cooking I’m going to make a homemade chilli this weekend xx

Hi @kittylion2 , how are you this morning? Any plans for the weekend?
Thank you for the advice re my mum shopping I will do that . Plus it means I get to hug her more which is a bonus. She said to me other day that all she wants is for me to get better mentally and psychically so I’m going to try my very hardest to try and do that.
I’m definitely going to look at a heated throw/blanket. I’ll see if I can get one in the January sales. I don’t get Christmas presents as I’m too old 😂.
That’s so lovely that you have offered to lay your son’s heating bill. What a lovely thoughtful thing to do xx

Hi @Meanwhile33 , happy Saturday ❤️
I had a good food book at old home so used to make this a few times . Everyone loved it so I’ve been on the website and here’s the recipe:

Spaghetti Bake:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• chopped
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• good pinch chilli powder
• 400g spaghetti
• broken into short lengths
• handful basil leaves
• plus a few extra
• 250g pack mozzarella
• sliced
• 50g grated parmesan
• (or vegetarian alternative)

• Step 1
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in large pan, add the garlic and fry for 1 min. Add the tomatoes, chilli and seasoning, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
• Step 2
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti, then drain. Mix the spaghetti with the tomato sauce and basil, then spoon half into a large ovenproof dish. Arrange half the mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Repeat the layers, then bake for 15-20 mins until lightly browned on top. Scatter with extra basil and serve with a big green salad.

Cauliflower cheese with butter beans sound delicious. It all sounds delicious. Any room for one more? 😂.

My mum keeps saying that when I go food shopping to buy things in bulk as it saves you money in the long run but when your on a budget you tend to go for the smaller one as you only have a certain budget each week. I get what she’s saying and it makes complete sense but that will sometimes be hard to do if that makes sense .

Your friendship group sounds amazing @Meanwhile33 So happy that you have such supportive network.

And if your ever in the Doncaster area then feel free to pop in for a coffee 😂xx

Here it is @Meanwhile33 xx